Want to run a global business without putting your home or savings on the line? A limited liability company in Anguilla may be the answer. It blends the best parts of corporations and partnerships. You get a legal shield between the business and your family wealth. You also get strong asset protection and privacy, since no public register lists who owns it. One owner is enough. There is no tax on profits earned abroad, and setup takes one business day. Here is how an Anguilla LLC works, what it costs, and how to form one.
You might also want to read about the Anguilla Business Company (formerly the IBC)
For more information on the advantages of Anguilla as an Offshore Financial Center, click here.
What Are Anguilla Limited Liability Companies?
Think of an LLC as a company built for flexibility.
These limited liability companies are formed under the Limited Liability Company Act (R.S.A. c. L65). The revised edition shows the law as at 15 December 2014, consolidating Act 3/2014. The Anguilla Commercial Registry also publishes Limited Liability Company (Amendment) Acts from 2019, 2020 and 2023.
Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory located in the Caribbean. Anguilla’s LLC law is usually described as modelled on United States LLC statutes, and the Wyoming ordinance in particular, with member-managed control and charging-order protection carried across into local law.
Here is what makes it different:
- It is its own legal person. Under section 11(4) of the Act it is a separate legal entity. It can own property, sign contracts and go to court in its own name.
- Owners are called members. Each holds a membership interest, not shares.
- It can last forever. Section 53 says its life can be perpetual, or end on a date you choose.
- It has its own law. It sits apart from the Business Companies Act 2022 and from the limited partnership form, which each have separate statutes. Anguilla LLCs were left out of the 2022 consolidation and still run on their own Act.
Why Choose an Anguilla LLC?
Few structures give you this much control for so little paperwork. Like many offshore companies, it keeps admin light, and it sits in a stable jurisdiction with English common law.
Key Advantages
- Limited liability protection: your LLC provides limited liability, so business debts stay with the business (section 23).
- No local tax on foreign profits: as long as the LLC does no business in Anguilla (section 80).
- Flexible management: members can run it, or you can appoint managers (section 29).
- Small team: a minimum of one member is enough to form it (section 11(1)).
- Open ownership: the members of an Anguilla LLC can be individuals and corporate entities, partnerships, trusts or estates, from any country (section 1, definition of “person”).
- No residency rules: no member or manager has to reside in Anguilla.
- No share capital: there is no minimum investment.
- Light reporting: no audit, and no financial statements to file with the government. You still keep proper records.
- Portable: a foreign LLC can move to Anguilla (sections 64–69), and an Anguilla LLC can move abroad (sections 72–74).
- Fast setup: one business day with Offshore Protection.
Top Uses
- International business and trading
- Holding investments
- Asset protection
- Single-owner businesses
- Professional groups and joint ventures
- Family or Estate Planning
Key Corporate Features
Here is the whole structure at a glance.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Type of entity | LLC (members hold LLC interests, not shares) |
| Type of law | English common law |
| Governed by | Limited Liability Company Act, R.S.A. c. L65, with amendment acts of 2019, 2020 and 2023. The Companies Act 2000 no longer applies: it was repealed by the Business Companies Act 2022. |
| Licensed agent and registered office in Anguilla | Required at all times (sections 5 and 6) |
| Shelf company availability | Yes |
| Our time to establish a new company | 1 business day |
| Government filing fee (articles of formation) | US$250 electronic, US$265 on paper (Schedule 4, Part 1, item 2) |
| Tax on profits | None, if the LLC does no business in Anguilla |
| Access to double tax treaties | No |
| Capital | |
| Standard currency | US dollar is commonly used, and the Act defines “$” as US dollars Eastern Caribbean dollar is the official currency (US$1 = EC$2.70) |
| Permitted currencies | Any |
| Minimum capital | None |
| Bearer shares allowed | N/A (an LLC issues no shares) |
| Managers | |
| Minimum number | None required (members manage unless your agreement appoints a manager) |
| Local manager required | No |
| Publicly accessible records | No |
| Location of meetings | Anywhere |
| Corporate managers allowed | Yes |
| Members | |
| Minimum number | One |
| Publicly accessible records | No (the register of members and managers is kept at the registered office, and beneficial ownership is filed privately with the Registrar) |
| Corporate members allowed | Yes |
| Company Secretary | |
| Required | No |
| Accounts | |
| Keep accounting records | Yes, for 6 years (sections 38 and 39) |
| Audit requirements | No |
| Requirement to file accounts | No |
| Publicly accessible accounts | No |
| Recurring Government Costs and Filings | |
| Annual licence fee | US$250 electronic, US$265 on paper, payable on or before every anniversary of registration (Schedule 4, Part 1, item 18) |
| Annual registered agent and office fee (government) | US$30 per company under administration |
| Late payment penalty | 10% of the licence fee; a further 50% if more than 3 months late (Schedule 4, Part 2) |
| Annual return | Not required — the Act sets no annual return. Your yearly filing is the licence fee plus the economic substance declaration. |
| Annual substance declaration | Required of every LLC, as a nil declaration if there is no relevant activity |
| Name reservation | US$25, valid 120 days and renewable |
| Other | |
| Migration of domicile permitted | Yes, in and out |
Anguilla LLC Formation: Step by Step
Forming your LLC is quicker than most people expect. Anguilla has simple formation requirements, but you can’t file on your own. Filings go to the Registrar through the Commercial Registration Electronic System (CRES), and under the Commercial Registry and Beneficial Ownership Registration System Act documents must be filed by your registered agent. Offshore Protection handles that for you.
- Choose and reserve a name. The name must include “Limited Liability Company” or the abbreviation “LLC”. Words such as Bank, Trust, Insurance, Foundation, Fund, Royal, British or Government need the Registrar’s approval. A reservation lasts 120 days and costs US$25.
- Complete due diligence. Send certified ID and proof of address for every member, manager and beneficial owner.
- File the articles of formation. They list the LLC name, the registered office address, the agent’s name and address, and any end date. They don’t name the members.
- Get your certificate of formation. The Registrar issues it once the filing is accepted. Your LLC exists from the date on the certificate.
- Sign your LLC agreement and file ownership details. Beneficial ownership information goes to the Registrar’s private register through CRES. Filing is due within 14 days of formation or continuation, with fines up to US$50,000 for breach.
- Receive your incorporation documents and open a bank account. You can order your LLC with or without a bank account.
Every LLC must keep a licensed agent and a registered office in Anguilla at all times. Both must be provided by a person holding a licence under the Company Management Act or the Trust Companies and Offshore Banking Act, issued by the Anguilla Financial Services Commission.
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Operating Agreement: The Private Rulebook
What happens if two owners disagree? Your agreement decides.
The Act calls this document the LLC agreement. Most people call it an operating agreement. It stays private, so you don’t file it with the government. Section 12 lets you sign it before, during or after filing.
The law doesn’t force you to have one, but skipping it is risky. Without it, default rules apply. Profits get split by the agreed value of each member’s contributions (section 36). Control goes to members holding more than 50% of the profit shares (section 29).
A good agreement covers:
- Who the members are and what each put in
- How profits and losses are shared (they don’t have to match ownership)
- Whether members manage, or you appoint one manager or more
- Voting rights and any classes of members
- How members join, leave or sell their stake
- Penalties if someone breaks the rules
Limited Liability: How Your Wealth Stays Separate
Here is the big promise: the company’s debts are not your debts.
- The LLC owns its debts. Section 23 of the Act says debts and obligations belong to the LLC alone. Members have limited liability, and so do managers.
- Your home stays yours. Business creditors can’t reach your personal assets just because you are a member or manager.
- Creditors get limited rights. If someone wins a court case against you personally, the Court can only charge your economic interest (section 50). The creditor then has only the rights of an assignee: your share of payouts, not your vote.
- Transfers need consent. Unless your agreement says otherwise, other members must agree before an interest is assigned (section 49).
The shield has limits. A member who knowingly takes a payout that leaves the LLC unable to cover its debts must pay it back (section 47), and the LLC commits an offence carrying a US$25,000 penalty. No law protects fraud.
Taxation of Anguilla LLCs
Does an LLC pay tax in Anguilla? Usually, no.
Section 80 of the LLC Act exempts an LLC that does no business in Anguilla from corporate tax, income tax, withholding tax and similar taxes on assets or income from outside Anguilla. That exemption is automatic. It does not depend on any election by the members, as the old version of this page suggested. Your LLC won’t pay:
- Corporate tax
- Income tax
- Withholding tax on payouts to non-residents (section 81)
- Capital gains tax — Anguilla levies none
- Estate tax, inheritance, succession or gift tax on LLC interests held by non-residents (section 80(3))
- Stamp duty on transfers of property to or by the LLC and on transactions in LLC interests, except where Anguilla property is involved (section 80(4)–(5))
Section 80(2) says keeping a bank account, holding meetings, keeping records, running an administrative office or using an agent in Anguilla doesn’t count as doing business there. The picture changes if you run activities within Anguilla.
Your home country still matters. You report your share of profits where you live. For U.S. owners, a foreign LLC is often treated as a partnership or a disregarded entity for tax purposes, and FATCA and FBAR reporting still apply. Confirm your classification with a U.S. tax adviser before you file. Anguilla also shares account data under CRS and FATCA. Privacy from the public is not privacy from tax authorities.
Economic Substance and Ongoing Duties
Staying in good standing takes a few simple habits.
The Limited Liability Company (Economic Substance) Regulations took effect on 1 January 2019, and the Registrar issued fresh guidance on 3 July 2025.
- Relevant activities: the Registrar’s 2025 guidance lists the relevant sectors as holding company business, banking, fund management and insurance, financing and leasing, shipping, headquarters business, distribution and service centre, and intellectual property business. Only an LLC in one of those sectors must prove real presence in Anguilla.
- What “real presence” means: being directed and managed in Anguilla, with enough staff, premises and spending there. Pure holding companies face a lighter test.
- You can be out of scope. An LLC that is tax resident elsewhere can be treated as exempt, on evidence the Registrar accepts.
- Yearly declaration: every LLC files one with its annual renewal, even a nil declaration if it has no relevant activity.
Your yearly checklist:
- Keep a licensed agent and registered office in Anguilla. If either loses its licence, you have 14 days to switch (sections 5(8) and 6(6)).
- Pay the licence fee by each anniversary. This is your annual renewal. Late penalties start at 10% and a further 50% applies after three months.
- Keep the register of members and managers at the registered office. Failure is an offence carrying a US$10,000 fine (section 5(3)).
- Keep proper accounting records for six years. The penalty for a breach is US$25,000 (section 40).
- Keep your beneficial ownership details current with the Registrar.
Some work is off-limits. Section 8(2) says an LLC can’t carry on banking or trust business, insurance or reinsurance business, or company management business within the meaning of the Company Management Act. It also can’t own or hold an interest in Anguilla real property, other than an office it uses to communicate with members or keep its records. Breaching section 8 is an offence carrying a US$25,000 penalty and possible imprisonment. Only firms the Anguilla Financial Services Commission licenses under the Company Management Act or the Trust Companies and Offshore Banking Act can act as your agent.
Corporate Details
Want the fine print? Here it is in plain English.
Anonymity, Confidentiality and Disclosure
No public register lists members or managers. The articles of formation show only the LLC name, its registered office and its agent. The register of members and managers is kept at the registered office under section 5(2), not filed publicly, and beneficial owners are recorded on the Registrar’s beneficial ownership register, which the public can’t search. Section 25 gives members and managers a right of access to company information, and the Court can enforce it. The old version of this page said it was a crime for an agent, auditor or official to reveal information about an LLC except under court order. That wording is not in the LLC Act and has been removed. Nominee member and manager services are available through us for an extra layer of privacy.
Members
A single member is enough. Members can be people, companies, partnerships, trusts or estates, and they can live anywhere. Other LLCs can be members too. An LLC agreement can create classes of members with different votes and payouts (section 22).
Managers
Members run the LLC by default (section 29). You can also appoint managers of any nationality who live anywhere. A manager can also be a member (section 30).
Company Shares and Capital
An LLC has no shares, so there is no authorised capital and no minimum. Members can contribute cash, property, services rendered, or a promise to pay (section 34). Your agreement can provide for certificates evidencing an interest (section 49(5)).
Company Meetings
The law doesn’t require meetings. If you hold them, they can take place anywhere in the world.
Exchange Controls
There are none. Money moves freely on the island of Anguilla, and the US dollar circulates widely.
Principal Corporate Legislation
- Limited Liability Company Act, R.S.A. c. L65 (the principal statute)
- Limited Liability Company Regulations, R.R.A. L65-1
- Limited Liability Company (Amendment) Acts of 2019, 2020 and 2023
- Limited Liability Company (Economic Substance) Regulations 2019
- Commercial Registry and Beneficial Ownership Registration System Act, 2022
- Company Management Act and Trust Companies and Offshore Banking Act (licensing of your agent)
Type of Law and Language
English common law. Laws and corporate documents are in English.
Name Rules
The name must include “Limited Liability Company” or “LLC”. It can’t be the same as or similar to an existing or reserved name. Schedule 1 of the Regulations lists the restricted words, including Bank, Trust, Insurance, Assurance, Foundation, Fund, British, Royal, Government and Stock Exchange.
Access to Double Tax Treaties
Anguilla is not a party to any double tax treaties.
Continuation and Mergers
A foreign LLC can move to Anguilla and is deemed to have come into existence on the date it was first formed (section 69(2)). An Anguilla LLC can also depart to a foreign jurisdiction (sections 72–74) or merge with other entities (section 19).
How Is Anguilla Company Formation Changing in 2026?
Anguilla still works well, but the rules around it are tightening.
The Latest Data
- EU tax list: on 17 February 2026, EU finance ministers updated the list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions. Anguilla is one of the 10 jurisdictions on Annex I (European Commission, 17 February 2026). It has been listed since October 2022, and the next review is scheduled for October 2026.
- New enforcement powers on the table: on 16 January 2026, the Anguilla Financial Services Commission issued a draft Registrar of Companies (Compliance Measures) Bill, 2026 for consultation. It would give the Registrar wider supervisory and enforcement powers. As of this update the Registry has published no enactment notice, so the bill is still at consultation stage.
- Substance guidance is now formal. The Registrar’s July 2025 economic substance guidance sets out sector-by-sector tests and the evidence the Registrar will accept for a claim of tax residence elsewhere.
What 25 Years of Formations Have Taught Us
We have watched the Anguilla offshore sector ride out several blacklist cycles. A listing rarely changes what the law lets your LLC do. It does change how banks and EU partners treat you. The clients who do best line up banking and paperwork before they file, not after.
What We Expect Next
We expect the compliance bill to pass in some form. If it does, late filings and stale ownership records will likely draw faster penalties. Whether Anguilla leaves the EU list in October is harder to call. Plan as if extra bank checks are here to stay.
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- Government Registration Fee (First year)
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- Annual Maintenance
- Certificate of Formation issued by the Registrar
- Articles of Formation
- Minutes of First Members’ Meeting
- LLC Interest Certificates (if your agreement provides for them)
- Register of Members and Managers
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is an Anguilla LLC used for?
Most owners use it for international trade, holding investments, protecting family wealth and estate planning. It suits a single owner or a small group who want flexible control.
- Can a foreigner start a business in Anguilla?
Yes. Foreigners can form and fully own LLCs in Anguilla. You don’t need a local member or manager, and you don’t need to visit. A licensed Anguilla agent handles the filing. Just keep the business abroad: section 8 of the Act stops an LLC from owning land in Anguilla or running banking, trust, insurance or company management business, and trading locally ends its tax-free status.
- How much does it cost to form and renew an Anguilla company?
Government fees are modest and set by regulation. Filing the articles of formation costs US$250 electronically or US$265 on paper, and the annual licence fee is the same, due on or before each anniversary of registration. Our LLC package starts from US$1,199 for the first year and includes the government fee, registered agent and registered office. Ask us for a renewal quote.
- Does the LLC issue shares?
No. Members hold LLC interests, not shares. There is no share capital and there are no bearer shares. Votes and payouts are set in your agreement.
- Do I need a written agreement between members?
The law doesn’t demand one, but you should have it. Without it, default rules in the Act decide how profits, control and exits work.
- Are members and managers listed publicly?
No. An Anguilla LLC’s articles of formation name only the company, its registered office and its agent. The register of members and managers stays at the registered office, and beneficial owner details go to the Registrar’s register, which the public can’t search.
- Does the LLC pay tax in Anguilla?
Not if it does no business in Anguilla. Section 80 exempts foreign income and assets automatically, and payouts to non-residents are exempt too. You may still owe tax in your home country.
- Do substance rules apply to my LLC?
Only if it carries on a relevant activity: holding company business, banking, fund management, insurance, financing and leasing, shipping, headquarters, distribution and service centre, or intellectual property business. Every LLC still files a yearly declaration, even if it is a nil return.
- Can a creditor seize my interest in the LLC?
Under section 50 the Court can charge your economic interest. The creditor then has only the rights of an assignee, so they get your share of payouts but not your vote or any say in running the LLC.
- How long does formation take?
One business day with Offshore Protection, once your due diligence documents are approved. CRES accepts filings around the clock.
- Do I need to visit Anguilla to form an LLC?
No. The whole process runs remotely through your registered agent and CRES. You send certified identity and address documents, we file, and your certificate of formation comes back electronically.
- What happens if I miss the annual licence fee?
A penalty of 10% of the fee applies from the anniversary date, and a further 50% if you are more than three months late. Leave it long enough and the Registrar can strike the LLC off the Register and dissolve it, though a struck-off LLC can be revived on application and payment of arrears.
- Is the Anguilla LLC affected by the 2022 company law reform?
No. The Business Companies Act 2022 repealed and replaced the Companies Act, the International Business Companies Act and the Protected Cell Companies Act. The Limited Liability Company Act was left out of that consolidation, so Anguilla LLCs still run on their own statute.
Ready to Form Your LLC?
An Anguilla LLC gives you a legal shield, private ownership and no local tax on foreign profits. One owner is enough, and setup takes a single business day. The rules are clear. You need a licensed agent, good records and a yearly filing. Get those right, and the structure works hard for you. Book a consultation today and we’ll help you form yours the right way.
